romney has faced a larger, more enthusiastic crowd ever since. campaigning wednesday in the critical battleground state of ohio, trailing in the polls, but narrowing the gap. >> and the key thing i want people across ohio to understand and to ask themselves as you go into the voting booth, as you vote, is can we really afford the cost of barack obama? and the answer is no. >> reporter: now tonight's a debate will be mod rated by abc's martha raditz, both of the candidates seated opposite here. a concession. last week, president obama and mitt romney stood at podiums that is the format that the president's team favors. tonight, they get to sit, that is the format the romney team favors. speaking of governor romney, he is said to be practicing right now for the second debate which we have up in new york city next week. so tonight's the one and only vp debate. it will cover both domestic and foreign issues. savannah? >> ron mott, thank you. so what should we expect tonight? david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." and chuck todd is nbc's poli